The Middle

ContinuingTuesday / 8:00pmABC (US)US25 min.

Frankie Heck and her husband Mike have lived in Orson, Indiana, their whole lives. A man of few words (every one a zinger), Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to just about any length. And with kids like these, she had better. There's Axl, her semi-nudist teenage son conceived while under the influence of Guns N' Roses; Sue, the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything... but with the utmost of gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick, whose best friend is his backpack.
Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to get to the top, or struggling not to hit bottom, but we think Frankie and her family will find a lot of love, and a lot of laughs, somewhere in "The Middle".

Season 9

17 Episodes

Mike's wayward brother, Rusty, comes to town and presents Sue with an extravagant gift, which Mike assumes is stolen goods; Mike tries to figure out a way to reconnect with Sue; Axl blows his first paycheck on a big-screen TV.

Frankie decides that she needs to find something new that she's passionate about – life's third act - and Reverend TimTom offers the perfect solution. Meanwhile, tired of hearing Sue and Brick argue because of the giant hole between their bedroom walls, Mike orders them to fix it; and after Axl refuses to let rich girlfriend Lexie pay for some extravagant outings, Lexie finds a way to fool him into thinking he's becoming lucky when money and other high priced items suddenly make their way into his hands.

Now that Axl has a real job, he begins to bond more with Mike and spends a lot of time with him – leaving Frankie frozen out of their interactions; and just as Sue is about to break up with Aidan, Brad pleads with her to wait a beat until after he has a chance to win the affection of Aiden's handsome friend, Luke.

Frankie and Sue are devastated when Axl informs them that he's not going to church; Mike goes to war with the Glossner kids after they keep defacing his giant inflatable snowman; Brick attempts to wrap his first present.

Frankie remembers she has to come up with something to place in the time capsule; Bill Norwood informs Mike that he and Paula are separating; Brick tries to win Cindy back; Axl volunteers Sue to be his personal assistant

When Axl visits Hutch, he discovers his friend has turned into a responsible adult; Sue is unable to sleep after watching a horror movie by herself; Brick enlists Frankie and Mike's help to help convince a girl to give him a chance.

Axl tries to invent a new beverage; Mike asks Sue to put together a romantic evening for his and Frankie's 25th wedding anniversary; Sue declares she won't be the person who does everything expected of her without complaint.

As Halloween approaches, Frankie discovers that a woman had died in the bathtub of the Heck house close to 50 years ago, and Frankie and Brick become convinced that she was murdered and, much to Mike's chagrin, attempt to track down and find the murderer. Meanwhile, Axl and Lexie become frustrated over losing their alone time when Sue insists on hanging out with them wherever they go.

Frankie and Mike spend a weekend at the college with Lexie's parents, Tammy and Bennett. While Frankie has a good time, Mike says he feels like Bennett is acting superior. Frankie later gets Mike to admit he's jealous, and also embarrassed over not being able to give Frankie nice things. Meanwhile, Brick fakes being arrested for Sophomore Slammer weekend at Orson High, then needs Sue to bail him out because he has no friends to do so. Sue then tells Brick that Sophomore year isn't all he's built it up to be.

Frankie gives away unused items from the house in the hope of getting food in return; Sue and Lexie find their apartment is being inhabited; Axl's new job as a school bus driver gives him the opportunity to look after Brick.

Axl returns home from Europe with a new outlook on life; Sue decides to cram a whole summer of fun into two days; Brick doesn't know if he should break up with Cindy; Frankie tries to come up with an item for a time capsule.

Oct 03 2017

Season 8

23 Episodes

Having finally graduated college, Axl tells Frankie and Mike that he's planning on going to Europe over the summer with Kenny. Although Frankie thinks this is a great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mike is less than pleased and thinks his slacker son should be putting all of his summer efforts into finding a job. Meanwhile, Sue begins to panic after she barely scrapes a parked SUV and doesn't hear back from the owner after leaving several notes on the windshield, and Brick discovers that his sudden onset of backaches is due to not sitting in his lawn chair, which was replaced by a normal kitchen-table chair.

Frankie, Mike and Brick notice that luck is on their side after the Prairie Scouts inadvertently paint the Donahue's address on their curb; after Axl misses his final college exam before graduation, he asks his teacher to let him take it.

Frankie searches the house for Axl's graduation gift that she purchased months before and hid; Sue wants to make a sweet video for Mike's birthday; Cindy embarrasses Brick when she chases away a boy who was bullying him.

After Axl discovers that he doesn't have a decent suit to wear for business interviews, he is excited when Frankie agrees to take him shopping to help him find a suit; Mike threatens to get rid of the summer pool if Sue and Brick don't use it.

After being reminded that Brick was never confirmed, Frankie and Mike send him to Reverend TimTom's Wilderness Jesus Jam weekend camp to brush up on his religious knowledge in preparation for the blessed event. But Brick is shocked to discover that his bunkmate is no other than Blake Ferguson - the boy he was switched at birth with and raised by his parents for the first month of his life.

Mike's friendship with Bill Norwood is in jeopardy after Bill gets angry when Mike poaches his plumber at a reduced rate; Frankie is disappointed when Sue refuses to tell her who she has a crush on; Brick wants Axl to party with him at college.

Axl is startled to run into nearly all of his former flames at a St. Patrick's Day party leaving him to wonder if it is a sign about his love life; Brick buys an old microfiche machine at a library sale, leaving Frankie and Mike less than thrilled.

Lexie joins the Hecks for their spring break plans where she confesses to Sue that she has a crush on Axl; Mike hires Coach Babbitt as a ringer to help the quarry softball team; Frankie tries to figure out the root of an underhanded comment.

Frankie tries to convince Mike to visit Dr. Goodwin and get his toothache taken care of; Mike tries to convince Frankie that the tooth should be left alone; Axl, Hutch and Kenny decide to sell the famous Winnebago.

Frankie and Mike frantically attempt to shut off the water and save some treasured items when the pipes burst in the basement. But after freaking out and bickering amongst each other, Axl, Sue and Brick call a family intervention meeting to let their parents know that their constant fighting and bickering is negatively affecting them. But while the kids feel like they can benefit from their parents’ newfound realization, Frankie and Mike start to think that the kids’ lack of support makes them the ones who should be sorry,

Frankie becomes sad when her doctor informs her that her ovaries are shriveled up, which means her days of having kids are over. In an attempt to cheer her up, Mike offers to have him and Frankie babysit the neighbor's baby overnight, which puts some perspective on being an older parent. Meanwhile, Sue and Axl are a bit shocked when romantic sparks fly between Sean Donahue and Sue's roommate Lexie; and Brick tries his best to hone up on his font knowledge when he meets Gibson, a worthy font opponent.

Axl begins to panic when he realizes that he only has four months of college left before he graduates, and he hasn't sent out any job resumes - something he should have started when he was a junior. Meanwhile, Brad agrees to lead Sue's no-cut a cappella group as they enter a music competition, and Brick desperately asks for Frankie and Mike's advice when girlfriend Cindy tells him that he reads too much, and if he doesn't stop, she'll break up with him.

Frankie wins a free maid service for a month and is excited for the break, but the Heck household might pose a bigger challenge than she expected. Mike and Rusty's dad, Big Mike, begins to have trouble taking care of himself.

The Hecks find themselves spending New Year's Day attempting to stave off a zombie apocalypse in the Orson Escape Room, desperately trying to beat the Donahue's record of getting out with more than one minute, eight seconds to spare. Meanwhile, Brick is convinced that the mild-mannered man assigned to the family's Escape Room group is really the famous author of the "Planet Nowhere" books; Sue divulges a secret about herself to Axl that's she's been keeping since childhood; and Mike is stunned when Frankie reveals that she had a romantic dream involving Frank Sinatra.

As Christmas approaches, Sue keeps a holiday secret from the family. After agreeing to watch the neighbor’s three kids, Brick finds himself trying to hide from them as they had such a good time that they keep wanting to come over and play. Mike doesn’t know how to react when Bill Norwood gives him a Christmas gift for the first time ever,

Trashy neighbor Rita Glossner talks an apprehensive Frankie into taking a road trip to an unknown destination. Mike takes an embarrassing fall at the quarry and has to deal with even more embarrassment when OSHA is called in to investigate. Sue attempts to convince Axl to end his estrangement with the family after learning their true feelings about April.

Frankie is upset that Axl refuses to answer her calls or texts after she unintentionally admits her true feelings about his girlfriend April. Brick forms a tick in the form of a phrase that causes him trouble; Brad surprises Sue.

Frankie decides that April is not good enough to be with Axl and does anything she can to keep her out of the annual family Christmas photo. Frankie must fight for Axl's attention when he announces that he will be spending Thanksgiving with April.

A clueless Sue turns to Axl for help in figuring out how she can break up with her boyfriend; Brick's attempts to make friends in high school are foiled by his best friend, Troy; Frankie unintentionally buys underwear with a lewd graphic.

As Halloween approaches, Frankie is taken aback when she discovers that, if the circumstances ever arose where she and Mike got divorced, the kids would all choose to live with Mike. Meanwhile, Sue tries everything in her power to get her room back from Brick, and having to be so nice around girlfriend April all of the time leads Axl to lash out at his family,

Mike tries to help a devastated Sue get back into college after discovering she has been kicked out for not renewing her financial aid, and Frankie attempts to teach Brick how to swallow a pill when he gets sick.

Frankie and Mike are excited to be introduced to the love of Axl's life, April; the family is surprised when she reveals an unusual personality trait; Sue decides to change her major while Brick begins high school and wants to change his image.

Oct 11 2016

Season 7

24 Episodes

After almost forgetting that Brick's middle school graduation is only days away, Frankie goes on a mission to right a wrong when Brick discovers that the song he was supposed to sing at the ceremony has been cut. Meanwhile, Sue needs to be at Dollywood to begin her summer job on the same day as Brick's graduation, and Axl takes a job as a country club counselor and finds himself being mocked by a 10-year-old carbon copy of himself.

Frankie figures out a way to secretly track Sue and Axl after they refuse to abide by their curfew while they're home for the summer. Meanwhile, Brick's determined to discover who else could be class valedictorian as middle-school graduation approaches.

After enduring year after year of botched Mother's Days, Frankie declares that the family gets to take a pass on doing anything at all for her this year. But after a man offers to buy Frankie's groceries at the market when she discovers that she forgot her wallet - and tells her to pay the kindly gesture forward - she decides to have the family pull each other's names out of a hat and do something nice for that person, which doesn't go as smoothly as planned.

Frankie is excited to lay out and relax on her new backyard lanai - aka patio - that Mike and his workmates built for her. But peace and serenity become hard to come by when new neighbors, with three screaming kids, move in next door and make it next to impossible for Frankie to find some quiet time. Meanwhile, Brick questions Mike as to whether his workmates helped build the lanai because they are his friends, or because he's their boss; Sue and Lexie draw a winning number in the dorm lottery and score the perfect room but find it difficult to kick out its current occupants; and Axl and Hutch open up a grilled cheese food truck out of their Winnebago, with a reluctant Kenny as their chef.

Frankie is thrilled when Sue invites her for lunch at the college. But lunch becomes awkward when Sue brings her new boyfriend along - Jeremy, the school activist - and the two of them begin bombarding Frankie with everything she and the world, in general, are doing wrong. Meanwhile, Axl informs a very disappointed Mike that he wants to quit football, and Brick overly obsesses over filling out a satisfaction survey after ordering some graph paper online.

Sue develops a huge crush on one of her college professors and goes to extremes to get him to notice her, and Frankie and Mike agree to meet Brick's girlfriend Cindy's parents, who end up being just as quirky as their daughter.

After making some extra money from the diaper business, Mike surprises a rather unenthusiastic Heck family with a spring break vacation at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. In the hopes of livening up what is perceived to be a lame vacation, Frankie suggests that the Donahues join them. While Mike visits all of the attractions on his own, Nancy asks a not-so-thrilled Frankie to speak with Sean to try and talk him into taking his MCATs; Axl enlists Brick to help him pick up women by playing "Jerk/No Jerk" - with Brick in the role of the "Jerk"; and Mike is anything but excited when an exuberant Sue reveals some news to him about her upcoming summer plans.

Frankie's excited to take care of Sue and Axl after they both have their wisdom teeth removed; and Brick lays down new house rules for his siblings while they're back home. Meanwhile, Mike learns the diaper business was Rusty's ex-wife's idea and becomes furious when he finds out she may be entitled to all their profits.

After Brick attends a Bar Mitzvah and questions when he'll officially become a man, Mike attempts to help him become more responsible in his quest to manhood. Meanwhile, Sue exudes a little too much enthusiasm as she tries to flirt and find herself a boyfriend, and Axl and Hutch find themselves a new home in the form of a Winnebago.

After discovering that Brick has never seen a movie in a theater, Frankie and Mike take him to see a film with a small scene that was partially shot in Orson. But when Brick sees a trailer for an upcoming "Planet Nowhere" film that he completely disapproves of, he makes it his mission to ensure that it won't ever play in that theater - or anywhere else. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike get into a major disagreement over how events really unfolded when Mike shushes Frankie after he perceives that she was constantly interrupting Bill while he was telling a story; Sue runs into Logan - the hunky Abercrombie guy - and thinks she has a real chance of becoming his girlfriend; and Axl and Sean discover that they have unexpected ties to an event that happened when they were young.

While Frankie and Mike try to figure out which household appliance a piece of plastic belongs to, Brick becomes a tyrannical director when he casts Cindy and Troy to re-enact scenes from "Knots Landing" for a school project; Sue's excitement over having new friend Lexie become her college dorm roommate quickly sours when she finds herself being charged for half of the new things that Lexie is spontaneously buying for the room; and Axl finds himself becoming stressed out when his boss (Alan Ruck) befriends him and tells him that the fruit pie division is on the verge of being shut down.

Mike enlists Axl and Brick's help to throw a surprise party for Frankie's 50th birthday. Meanwhile, Sue is mocked after posting a flyer for her missing sock in the dorm laundry room; and Coach Babbitt is determined to turn Brick into an athlete after he turns in a project about how he can't play sports.

Axl begins his internship at a snack-making company; Frankie complains about working for Smile Superstars; and Cindy confesses to Mike that she kissed another boy. Meanwhile, Sue's professor challenges her to stop seeing the world in a positive light for a writing assignment.

Dreading the fact that they are always late to church and end up in the overflow room, Frankie makes the decision to have the family watch a Christmas Eve service on TV from the comfort of the Heck house. But a string of events make their evening anything but a peaceful, silent night.

Frankie invites Mike to join her on a trip to Des Moines, Iowa for a convention about her dentist office's transition to a new owner; and Axl informs a disapproving Sue that he's moving into her dorm room. Meanwhile, Mike's dad agrees to watch Brick while the parents are out of town.

The Hecks agree to forgo Thanksgiving after Frankie finds out that she's out of a job until January and must pick up a holiday position, which requires her to work on Thanksgiving in order to make ends meet. Much to her dismay, she ends up once again having to portray an overworked 19th century woman back at Heritage Village during the Harvest Feast and finds herself going face-to-face with Sheila (Faith Ford), a woman who definitely takes her job too seriously. Meanwhile, Sue goes back to work at Spudsy's over her holiday break in the hopes that she'll once again run into Logan - the dreamy Abercrombie guy, Axl finds himself in foreign territory when he starts becoming emotional over how his life has turned out, and Mike and Brick find themselves needing to find a bonding experience when the electricity goes out at the house and they are forced to interact with each other.

Frankie is looking forward to taking part in the annual homecoming tailgate. But she begins to feel like the event will become an embarrassing disaster when her mom, Pat, decides to come out and join in the fun. Meanwhile, with Axl down with a bad case of the stomach flu, Mike turns his attention to Brick to help him win the tailgate cornhole tournament trophy that has eluded him for so long, and Sue volunteers to be the class liaison for Homecoming at the event.

Frankie asks Reverend TimTom to find out why Mike is being distant; and Sue invites Brick to visit her at college, but she loses him after running into the handsome Abercrombie guy. Meanwhile, Axl and Hutch complain to the city about an ant infestation.

Mike surprises Frankie when he wants to be involved in his brother's crazy business scheme; Axl goes to extreme measures to prove he can handle Mike's new motorcycle; and Sue begins living in her car to avoid her horrible roommate.

Frankie is shocked when Mike trades in his flannel for a Hawaiian shirt; and Sue accidentally tells Devin that Axl loves her, leading Devin to question their relationship. Meanwhile, Brick gets overambitious while cleaning the bathroom.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of her dorm roommate, Sue drives Frankie and Mike crazy with multiple calls and texts. When the roommate shows up Sue thinks she'll make a life- long friend and all her worries will be gone. Axl and Hutch find their house overrun by ants. Brick gets his own personal bodyguard at school.

Sue's excitement about moving into the dorm to start college is tempered when she accidentally burns her hair and must cut it short. Axl isn't interested in helping with Sue's move. Frankie discovers she's not sad about Sue moving out of the house while Mike overwhelms Sue with financial and safety guidelines. Brick is clueless when Cindy tells him she wants to take their relationship to the next level.

Sep 23 2015

Season 6

24 Episodes

Sue prepares for her graduation and worries the day won't go perfectly. Meanwhile, Brick gets the opportunity to skip a year in school and Axl grows concerned about Devin's fun summer pictures she posted on social media.

Mike's incompetence threatens to ruin Frankie's Mother's Day. Mike tells Axl, Sue, and Brick to put some effort into a gift for Frankie. Frankie asks the kids how they would differ from her as parents.

Frankie and Mike struggle to stay awake when watching a movie during a cozy date night at home. Meanwhile, a handsome mall employee asks Sue to her senior prom and Axl and Brick hope to find success with a barbecue sauce they've created.

A case of disrespect hits the Heck boys when Axl -- who is celebrating his milestone 21st birthday -- refuses to come home and help Mike move an old freezer, and Brick begins turning into a mini-Axl by dissing Frankie with a bad attitude. Meanwhile, Sue is torn over what to do when the manager of Chop Suey USA tries to woo her away from her job at Spudsy's.

Sue gets furious with Axl for forgetting a sombrero he promised to bring her, and Frankie's attempt to resolve their quarrel only makes things worse. Elsewhere, Mike is astonished to discover that Brick was named Athlete of the Month at middle school.

Frankie accompanies Brick on a school field trip and attempts to help her socially inept son make friends with a couple of boys. Devin scolds Axl for being mean to his sister. Mike gets a sinking feeling that he may have bullied his brother Rusty a bit too much as kids.

Frankie fears that her innocent flirtation with Axl’s friend has been misinterpreted, and Frankie’s dad, Tag, secretly asks Mike to help him study for his driver’s test so that he doesn't lose his license.

Valentine's Day aims its sights on the Heck kids when a nervous Brick finds out that his quirky girlfriend Cindy wants him to kiss her on the special day, Darrin asks Frankie and Mike to help out with an exciting scavenger hunt he's putting together for Sue, and Axl begins to question his girlfriend Devin's request that he not give her anything for what she considers to be a lame tradition.

Frankie must work at Ehlert Motors for one day in order to collect her pay on an old, uncashed paycheck, Mike offers Sue a part-time job at the quarry, and Mike’s dad attempts to persuade a lazy Axl to help replace the damaged kitchen sink.

Frankie acts like a teenager when she hangs out with Pam Staggs, a former classmate who was popular in high school. Meanwhile, Brick surprises Mike by winning an athletic award; Sue pursues some odd hobbies; and Axl seeks a date with Devin Levin.

With the Heck house in disarray due to the kitchen sink hole and miniature dining room table, Frankie suggests that the family enjoy a Thanksgiving feast at the local King's Feast buffet. But all does not run so smoothly when Sue invites her boyfriend Darrin to dine with the family and gets the feeling that Mike doesn't like him very much, Brick invites his quirky girlfriend Cindy, and Axl is forced by Frankie to invite a girl he doesn't even know to the holiday meal.

The Heck house once again throws a curve ball to the family when the kitchen sink caves in and drops out of sight, causing Frankie to have to wash the dishes with the outside hose. Meanwhile, Sue is informed that, since Wrestlerettes does not qualify for P.E. credit, she needs to master tinikling -- a difficult dance routine for a clumsy Sue -- to get the credit she needs to graduate, and after Brick accidentally breaks Mike's lawn mower, he takes Axl's advice to try and play the hero card by taking his dad's wallet then returning it later, thinking this will divert Mike's attention away from the busted mower.

In an effort to be more social, Brick decides to go to the fall dance; Axl panics when he realizes the deadline to declare a major is looming; Sue starts drinking coffee in order to appear more sophisticated.

Mike and Frankie search for second jobs in order to send Sue to a good college; without asking, Axl takes household items to furnish the home he and Hutch are renting; Brick finds noisy childhood toys Frankie had purposefully hidden.

Frankie discovers school started a week earlier than she thought, forcing Sue and Brick to scramble to make up missed time; Sue gets her braces removed; Mike loses to Axl at basketball for the first time; Brick looks for the perfect book bag.

Sue frantically tries to earn a college scholarship for when she graduates high school in two years; Frankie hopes to correct a mistake at work without her boss finding out; Brick demands a formal apology from Mike after a misunderstanding.

Frankie begs Rita Glossner to take down her noisy wind chimes; Axl and Hutch try to figure out a way to retrieve a couch they found on the side of the road; Brick tries to come up with a new pretzel snack idea; Sue announces she is back with Darrin.

Brick makes it hard for Mike to relax during the vacation he was forced to take; Frankie is furious when she learns that Axl was in town without letting her know; Sue tries extra hard to please her customers after receiving a bad review.

Frankie tries to persuade Mike to attend a dinner honoring his dedicated service at the quarry; Sue forms a plan to build connections between students; Axl hopes to track down a girl who left a message on his phone.

Principal Barker (Rachel Dratch) asks the parents to form carpools while the bus drivers are on strike; Axl becomes an astronomy expert so he can tutor an attractive student; Mike receives two tickets to a basketball game.

The citizens of Orson, Indiana celebrate the Orsontennial - the town's 100th anniversary. During this momentous event, Frankie and Mike find themselves begrudgingly trying to drive a giant cow float in the parade; Axl, Sean and Darrin resurrect Boss Co. and attempt to make some big bucks by setting up a VIP area to view the festivities; Sue, still crushing on Darrin, tries to make him jealous by pretending to be dating Brad again; and Brick tries to earn himself a place in Orson history by entering a contest to come up with the town's new motto, which will be used for the next 100 years.

After Frankie and Mike are forced to return the church van when it's discovered that their car has been repaired, Sue - who has been driving the other car - begins to freak out because she'll have to start taking the bus again. But when her parents tell her that she could get her own car if she got a job, Sue ends up working as a potato girl at a local mall eatery. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike are called into Brick's principal's office and are informed that he has not attended any of his classes - and much to the family's dismay, Axl begins to spend his nights back home when he becomes fed up with having to deal with his horrible college roommate.

he first day of school is upon the Heck family, and Sue finds herself feeling a sense of freedom she's never felt before with Axl not around to make her campus life miserable. But Brick, who is beginning middle school and afraid of getting a swirlie, avoids the bathroom at all costs. Meanwhile, Frankie becomes jealous of Mike when she discovers that Axl calls and returns his texts but won't do the same for her; and Sue's feelings for Darrin surface once again when Mike calls him over to help fix the air conditioner.

Against Axl's wishes, Frankie insists on having the entire Heck family along for the ride as they drive to his college to move him into his dorm. But the short drive turns into an eternity when Sue freaks out after discovering that Frankie forgot to fax in her essay to be a candidate for Junior Peer Leadership Advisor, and Brick proves once again that he can't be trusted when he keeps losing his new cell phone.

Sep 25 2013

Season 4

24 Episodes

Tension builds as Frankie tries to plan a graduation party for uncooperative Axl; Sue tries to get her driver's license for a sixth time; Brick must assemble a slide show highlighting the past four years of school.

While dressed in a lab coat for her dental assisting job, Frankie is mistaken for a doctor and receives special treatment; Axl talks Sue into ditching school for the day; Mike and Axl's fishing trip goes awry.

Frankie tells the kids what she wants for Mother's day so one of them can clue in Mike; after repeatedly failing the driving test, Sue feels resentful when her friends get their licenses; Axl receives stunning news from Cassidy.

Disappointed with the finale of "The Bachelor," Frankie mopes for days; when Sue joins the school's tennis team, Mike tries to toughen her up by complimenting her opponents during matches; Cassidy and Axl consider the future of their relationship.

As Valentine's Day nears, killjoys Axl, Sean and Darrin offer their services to help guys who want to break up with their girlfriends. Mike's romantic text to Frankie erroneously gets sent to a co-worker. Brick has a problem with Frankie's handling of his school artwork collection. Sue gets a surprise when ex-boyfriend Matt invites her to the school's Valentine's Day dance.

Mike helps his brother Rusty move some furniture into the Heck family's garage, only to realize the furniture is stolen; Frankie hopes to land a part-time job in a department store so she can get a discount on Christmas presents.

Frankie does not make a good impression on the first day of dental assistant school; Mike and Frankie ask Axl to get a tutor and improve his grades; Sue and Brick try to pawn an item they found in an old safe.

After being fired from the car dealership and vowing not to take any job that comes her way, Frankie goes to tech school to get a real career; Axl begins his senior year of high school; sophomore Sue mentors a freshman.

Season 3

24 Episodes

The Hecks are pleased to learn that Mike's brother, Rusty is getting married. However, the joy is short-lived, when they discover that the wedding is to be held at their house. Meanwhile, Brick cannot attend a party that same day, due to the nuptials.

Frankie gets Brick to snitch on his siblings, but Mike disapproves of the tattling. Meanwhile, Sue threatens to get Axl in trouble if he doesn't obey her commands; and Mike reluctantly goes to Brick's school for Parent Day.

Sue finds a kindred spirit in her awkward school guidance counselor, Jane Marsh (Whoopi Goldberg), who inspires her to reinvent herself. Meanwhile, Frankie is ecstatic when she and Mike buy a much needed new bed but is gobsmacked when her stubborn husband insists on assembling it himself; and Brick attempts to call the President to outlaw the Presidential Fitness Challenge, which would force him to accomplish some strenuous physical exercises at school.

Frankie is inspired by the pastor's sermon at the new church the family is attending. She decides to make it her mission that every family member completes their life's destiny before they die. As Mike, Sue, Brick and Axl come up with ideas as to their destiny, Frankie has a hard time figuring out what exactly she should be doing.

Sue wishes for a big birthday bash for her Leap Year birthday. Meanwhile, Frankie learns that Mike has been taking care of a stray cat, Brick develops a crush at school, and Axl becomes fascinated with vacuuming.

Frankie pulls out all of the stops in an effort to get an over-excited Sue tickets to a Justin Bieber concert, Mike is thrilled over Brick's enthusiasm to win the school's spelling bee and coaches him for the event, and Axl and his friends attempt to break a road sign's 15-mile-per-hour speed limit - on foot.

Frankie and Mike decide to try a fresh approach to Valentine's Day by having dinner out with friends. But a clueless Mike angers Frankie by refusing to present her with a simple romantic gesture. Meanwhile, Axl can't think of a life-changing moment that's occurred in his life when he's assigned to write a school paper on the subject, Brick is tasked with writing a report on love, and a hapless Sue doesn't understand why her new boyfriend has suddenly turned into a bad kisser.

With Indiana hosting the Super Bowl, Frankie is devastated when she hopes to land a plum assignment as an official volunteer and ends up with a less-than-stellar position. Meanwhile, the entire Heck household takes advantage of the Donahue's new car while they are out of town, and a scary, close call with the car causes Sue to profess her true feelings to her new boyfriend, Matt.

Aunty Ginny's funeral is the catalyst for Frankie's vow to begin celebrating all of the family's major life achievements. Axl mistakenly eats Brick's school map project and Sue finds out that a boy on the wrestling team has a crush on her.

After realizing that no one keeps their New Year's resolutions, Frankie decides that they will be assigned anonymously to each family member, and an all-you-can-eat buffet feast will be the reward for those who can abide by their chosen resolution for a week. But chaos soon ensues when Frankie must spend more time with Brick, Mike needs to smile more, Axl has to keep his bedroom clean, Sue needs to stop trying out for things she'll never make, and Brick must stop reading all of the time.

On a tipsy whim - and against Mike's wishes - Frankie decides to throw a Christmas Eve party at the house; Mike buys Frankie a much needed new dishwasher for Christmas, but has a hard time keeping it a secret when she begs him to replace the old one before the party; Sue calls on Reverend TimTom to explain the meaning of Christmas to Brick when he reads the Bible and begins to question it; and Axl gets annoyed with Bob when he tries too hard to be cool in order to befriend him while working together on a Christmas tree lot.

Frankie's parents, Pat and Tag, invite the Hecks to spend a few days at their house to celebrate Thanksgiving together. But the festivities begin to fall apart quickly when Frankie's sister, Janet, and her family also join in, and soon the siblings are at each other's throats over their widely differing parenting techniques. Meanwhile, Mike tries to offer some advice to Axl on how to pick up girls when he witnesses his son trying to impress a pretty mini-mart cashier - and fails miserably; Brick attempts to prove his innocence when he is accused by Janet of damaging her daughter's expensive toy; and Sue is stoked when Frankie, Pat and Janet invite her to take part in their gossip sessions.

Frankie is thrilled when she learns that the Orson Community Theater is putting on a production of "The Wizard of Oz," and that kids don't need to audition to be munchkins, as they will be automatically cast - which is a perfect scenario for a hapless Sue. But things quickly go awry when Frankie is cast in a singing role and learns the director is not happy with Sue's performance and may cut her from the play. Meanwhile, Brick asks his unreliably quirky Uncle Rusty to attend his school's Special Friends Day - with disastrous results.

Frankie and Mike are convinced that slacker son Axl will blow his interview with a football scout, which could earn him a scholarship to college. Meanwhile, Sue and Brick begin a texting marathon - and rack up some serious charges - when they discover that Aunt Edie accidentally gave them her cell phone; and Frankie tries to be completely attentive to the family's needs when she realizes that she's more considerate to outsiders than her own kin.

After being embarrassed over wearing a childish costume at a high school Halloween costume party and being ignored by the guys, Sue asks a flabbergasted Mike for his advice on what boys want when it comes to girls. Meanwhile, Frankie reluctantly volunteers to take Brick's socially awkward school social skills group trick-or-treating, and Axl and his friends devise a plan to trick rather than treat the neighborhood kids on Halloween.

As the Heck home begins to literally fall apart, Frankie and Mike consider leaving homeownership behind and moving the family to an apartment. Meanwhile, Axl tries to fake Frankie out by pretending that he's sick in order to get out of taking a school test - and must later convince her that he's well enough to attend a party that evening; Sue and her ex-sort-of-boyfriend, Brad, volunteer to prepare a school skit about showing the dangers of texting and drinking while driving; and Brick tries to offer a little bit of levity by spouting off Shakespearian quotes.

Frankie learns that Axl's PSAT's are fast approaching and he hasn't been preparing for them. Sue sets her sights high and decides to try out for cheerleading, while Mike decides that Brick needs to toughen up when he gets bullied at school.

Frankie has a meltdown and forces the family to make significant changes to their lifestyle. But just as she puts these changes into effect, she leaves them to spend a some time relaxing with her mother.

Season 2

24 Episodes

With only three days left until summer vacation, Frankie is ecstatic that she's made it through another school year with the family. But her happiness turns to panic when she and Mike learn that Brick needs to write a daily journal and turn it in to Ms. Rinsky or risk not moving up to the fourth grade; that Axl hasn't fulfilled his required 30 days of community service; and that, because of an error, Sue must prove that she never took a sick day from school in order to receive a perfect attendance award at her middle school graduation ceremony.

Frankie and Mike attempt to cure Brick of his irrational fear of crossing over bridges. Meanwhile, Axl is pitted against nemesis Sean Donahue when a lifeguard position opens up at the local public pool, and Frankie is ready to pull her hair out when she tries to help an indecisive and emotional Sue pick out a two-piece bathing suit to wear on the pool's opening day.

After learning that Axl text-invited the wrong girl to prom and plans to solve the situation by standing her up, Frankie and Mike demand that he meet the girl face-to-face in a timely manner to gently break off the date - or face the music and take her to the big event. Meanwhile, Sue and her friend, Carly, try in earnest to fit in with the school's "B" crowd during lunch, and after a successful first show, Brick begins to bore Frankie and Mike with his impromptu one-man plays.

Frankie once again goes head to head with Brick's third grade teacher, Ms. Rinsky, when Brick gets a D on his math test and Frankie thinks poor teaching skills are to blame. But Frankie wonders whether or not she can make the grade when Ms. Rinsky requires that she and Mike attend a class to test their own math skills. Meanwhile, while begrudgingly watching over their crusty, old aunts, Axl and Sue mull over a plan to accompany Aunt Edie on a search for a time capsule she buried when she was young.

Frankie looks for a friend for Brick; Sue sneaks into an R-rated movie against Mike's wishes; and Axl and his band need a hot female for their music video and try to get stealth footage of their sexy biology teacher.

Axl has a new girlfriend he wants to impress on Valentine's Day, while Brick has a crush on a fellow student and Mike accidentally lets the news slip out, humiliating his shy son. Elsewhere, Sue searches for a boy she kissed on a Halloween hayride.

As the Super Bowl approaches, Mike is thrilled when Brick takes his advice and studies up on football in order to understand and talk the sport. But Axl thinks his little brother is taking over his turf by being Mike's football buddy - a position Axl used to cherish. Meanwhile, Frankie thinks her professional career is looking up when Mr. Ehlert chooses her to accompany him to a managerial seminar, and ex-boyfriend Brad asks Sue to be his dance partner for the school's annual Square Dancing with the Stars.

Mike freezes Frankie out because he can't fathom how she inadvertently paid $200 for a small bottle of eye cream that she thought was priced at $20.
Meanwhile, Axl's fathering techniques are put to the test when he has to take care of a mechanical infant doll for health class, and Sue and Brick desperately search for a way to fix a hole that they caused in Sue's bedroom wall.

After years of being at their kids' beck-and-call and never having time for themselves, Frankie and Mike decide to take charge of their lives and regain control over the Heck household. But Axl, Sue and Brick don't plan on going down without a fight.

While Frankie's parents Tag and Pat visit for Christmas, Mike is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, the Hecks have a disagreement with them over Frankie's idea on how to celebrate the holiday without exchanging presents

Mike begrudgingly invites his brother, Rusty, who is temporarily living in a tent, and his father, Big Mike, who has recently broken his hip, to join him for the annual Heck family Thanksgiving. But when Frankie observes the macho Heck men's non-communicative nature, she encourages a not-so-receptive Mike to engage them in a real conversation and express their feelings. Meanwhile, Brick is ecstatic when he discovers that Bob is bringing his girlfriend, Linda - the local librarian who loves books as much as Brick does - to Thanksgiving; and Sue wants to start a mother-daughter tradition of baking a pie for the holiday, but ends up getting more sliced up than the crust.

Frankie and Mike are speechless when, on his ninth birthday, Brick demands to hear the true story about the day he was born, which has remained a mysterious Heck family secret. Meanwhile, Axl's new manager at the movie theater turns out to be a conundrum - hot and dumb - which leaves a confused Axl wondering if her hotness trumps her incompetence.

Frankie is excited over being invited to an adult neighborhood Halloween party. But will she be able to get Mike to dress up in a costume, or will he have his own idea of fun? Meanwhile, a melancholy Sue's spirits are lifted when she discovers that Reverend TimTom is back in town and hosting a Halloween church event; things don't go quite as planned for Axl, his friends or their dates as they head out to an exclusive haunted house party; and Brick chooses a unique Halloween costume that is not easily defined.

Against the family's wishes, Frankie invites a Japanese foreign exchange student to live with them, in the hopes of exposing him to American life; however, the Hecks get frustrated when he shows no interest in them or America.

When Axl is suspended for skipping school, Mike decides it's time to teach his son a lesson about life and makes him go to work with him at the quarry. But Mike's master plan backfires when Axl likes the job so much that he wants to quit school and lead the life of a quarryman. Meanwhile, Frankie is devastated when she fears that she accidentally prayed away Sue's cross-country team after it's cut by the school; and while practicing a magic trick, Brick makes the main TV remote disappear - and can't figure out how to make it reappear.

While shopping for baby diapers for Sue, who has run out of them on a baby-sitting job, Frankie is completely humiliated when a clerk assumes she's shopping for adult diapers. Meanwhile, after getting on Mike's case to get a physical exam because she thinks men tend to fall apart faster than women as they age, Frankie proceeds to throw out her back and hides it from Mike, who tells her he received a clean bill of health from the doctor; a clueless Sue falls for Axl's friend, Sean, who barely notices her existence; and Brick begins to test all of the age-old urban legends parents tell their kids - such as not to swallow a watermelon seed for fear one will grow in their belly - after discovering Frankie has used these white lies on him in the past.

Season 1

24 Episodes

Parent-Teacher conferences cause Frankie to worry about the kids. In them she's told Axl is gifted but not applying himself, that her teachers still do not know who Sue is, and Brick may have to repeat the second-grade due to failure to return over 30 library books. Guest star Betty White as the school librarian.

Frankie points out to Mike that his social ineptness has been passed on to Brick, leading Mike to decide that both he and Brick need to be more social, and the Heck family BBQ is the perfect time to try. Meanwhile, Axl volunteers to clean the family pool in an attempt to get girls to stop by and swim and Sue tries to raise money for a local parish because her new friend, Reverend TimTom might be leaving in order to keep costs down

Mother's Day for Frankie is anything but serene when she finds herself doing more for Mike and the kids and less for herself. But she learns that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when she escapes the family for a few hours to go to her mom's (Marsha Mason, "The Goodbye Girl," "Chapter Two") and ends up acting like a child by making her mom wait on her hand-and-foot. Meanwhile, Sue feels guilty when she steals a motivational magnet from a store whose message actually enticed her to shoplift it.

Frankie is worried that Axl's going to get his heart crushed again when his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Morgan (Alexa Vega, "Spy Kids," "Ruby & the Rockits"), re-enters his life and tries to mold him into the man she wants him to be. Meanwhile Brick learns what it means to be a mother hen when he has to watch over a baby chick for a school science project.

After failing to pay the electric bill on time, the electric company shuts off the Heck's power. This leads Frankie and Mike to cut down on their unnecessary expenses, including their cable TV. The kids take up other activities to fill the void, but Frankie and Mike have a hard time figuring out what to do. Meanwhile, Brick and his other socially-challenged friends have to go outside for recess when the school library shuts down.

Mike's dream comes to fruition when Frankie's boss, Mr. Ehlert, offers him two tickets to the Final Four. Unfortunately, Frankie's uncle dies and the funeral is set for the same day, leaving the two in a battle and Frankie making Mike chose what life event is more important to him. Meanwhile, Sue gets Brick out of going to a birthday party by impersonating Frankie over the phone, but the plan hits a bump when Frankie needs to call and tell them that Brick cannot attend because of the funeral.

Frankie fears for her job when a motivational consultant comes to get the sale team into shape. While Frankie is putting in many extra hours, Mike has to deal with the children and their issues, including making the house more fun for Axl and his friends, giving advice to Sue's ex-boyfriend and helping Brick with a school project.

When Mike discovers that Brick is a spelling whiz and won the school spelling bee, he puts all his efforts into training him to win the regional bee, which could ultimately lead to competing in the Scripps Spelling Bee. But as the family gets set for their road trip to Chicago for the regional bee, Frankie and Mike are horrified when they realize they forgot one thing -- Sue's birthday.

Valentine's Day unexpectedly finds Frankie and Mike home alone and ready for a romantic evening while Brick is away at his first sleepover, Sue goes to her first boy-girl party, and Axl has a big date night planned with some friends. But Cupid's arrow doesn't exactly hit the target, and the best laid plans soon begin to unravel.

Mike loses his job when the plant shuts down for scientific research after he discovers a dinosaur bone in the quarry. However, Mike starts to get irregular feelings when he discovers how drastically things have change technologically over the years when considering the terms of searching for a job. Meanwhile, Frankie feels she must once again come to Brick's rescue when he decides to run for school historian.

When Sue has a run-in with her sons, Frankie fears that a confrontation with the trasy neighbor may be at hand. Meanwhile, Axl attempts to bribe Brick after he's asked to teach his little brother how to kick a ball for a gym requirement. However, Brick is the one turning the tables and it ends up bribing him for another favor.

A hormonally charged Sue wants a cool pair of jeans in order to fit in with her peers, resulting in Frankie and Mike enduring the unpredictability of teenagers, while Axl wants a car to impress a girl. Meanwhile, attempting to teach Brick about responsibility, Frankie and Mike reluctantly allow him to take care of Aunt Edie and Aunt Ginny's dog Doris for a few days.

Mike takes over the responsibility of organizing the Heck family Christmas while Frankie practices for a solo that she is singing at midnight mass. However, she gets jealous when Mike seems to be doing a better job than she ever did. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike help Brick get over a problem so he can get into the Christmas spirit.

Frankie accidentally hits Brick in the head with a beer bottle when trying to get the trash out before the garbage truck leaves. But when Brick innocently tells his school that the scratch was caused by his mother throwing a beer bottle at him, a social worker comes to evaluate the Heck family. Meanwhile, Bob helps Mr. Ehlert shoot a commercial for the car lot.

When Axl accidentally breaks down the front door, Mike insists that, he fix it in order to teach him a lesson, which leaves the Heck house wide open for days. At work, Frankie needs to sell a car within a week or she will have to wear a dog suit outside the lot for promotion. Meanwhile, it's picture day at school and Sue is concerned because she has never had a flattering picture taken of herself.

Brick's teachers tell Frankie and Mike that he is "socially challenged". Mike believes that enrolling Brick on a basketball team is a good way to get him to interact with others, but the idea falls through. However, when Mike enters the neighborhood block-party lawnmower contest, he realizes that Brick has some special talents. Meanwhile, Frankie joins a booster club in the hopes of raising enough money for Axl's football team to buy new jerseys, but Axl refuses to give his old one up.

Sue sells sausage and cheese samples for the school. All her efforts go in vain as the school fails to see this. Frankie demands her daughter fights for her rights. Meanwhile, Brick discovers love with his current girlfriend a little stressful as she bosses him about.

Frankie and Mike's romantic anniversary get-away is ruined by various family matters, including Brick being sick, Sue being lovesick, Axl just getting his learner's permit, and two psychotic aunts and their dog.

Trying to save her job, Frankie organizes a publicity stunt by filling a car with jelly beans. Meanwhile, Sue fails to make the swim team and realizes that she needs glasses and Brick starts reading his mother's romance novels when he can't check books out of the library.